Locomotive Emissions Monitoring Program - Railway Association of ...

Glossary of Terms
Terminology Pertaining to Railway Operations
Class I Railway: This is a class of railway within the legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada that realized
gross revenues that exceed a threshold indexed to a base of $250 million annually in 1991 dollars for the provision
of Canadian railway services. The three Canadian Class I railways are CN, CP and VIA Rail Canada.
Intermodal Service: The movement of trailers on flat cars (TOFC) or containers on flat cars (COFC) by rail and at least
one other mode of transportation. Import and export containers generally are shipped via marine and rail. Domestic
intermodal services usually involve the truck and rail modes.
Locomotive Active Fleet: This refers to the total number of all locomotives owned and on long-term lease, including
units that are stored but available for use. Not counted in the active fleet are locomotives on short-term lease and
those declared surplus or have been retired or scrapped.
Locomotive Power Ranges: Locomotives are categorized as high horsepower (having engines greater than 3,000 HP),
medium horsepower (2,000 to 3,000 HP) or low horsepower (less than 2,000 HP).
Locomotive Prime Movers: The diesel engine is the prime mover of choice for locomotives in operation on Canadian
railways. Combustion takes place in a diesel engine by compressing the fuel and air mixture until auto-ignition
occurs. It has found its niche as a result of its fuel-efficiency, reliability, ruggedness and installation flexibility. Two
diesel prime mover installation arrangements are currently in use:
• Medium-speed diesel engine: With an operating speed of 800 to 1,100 RPM, this engine is installed in versions
from 8 to 16 cylinders at up to 4,400 HP;
• Multiple ‘GenSet’ diesel engines: With an operating speed up to 1,800 RPM, ‘stand alone’ generating sets
(GenSet) each powered by a 700 HP industrial diesel engine driving separate alternators are linked electronically
to produce up to 2,000 traction horsepower. For switching locomotive applications, the advantage of this
arrangement is that individual GenSet engines can be started or stopped according to the power required.
Locomotive Remanufacture: The ‘remanufacture’ of a locomotive as a process in which all of the power assemblies
of a locomotive engine are replaced with freshly manufactured (containing no previously used parts) or refurbished
power assemblies or those inspected and qualified. Inspecting and qualifying previously used parts can be done
in several ways, including such things as cleaning, measuring physical dimensions for proper size and tolerance,
and running performance tests to assure that the parts are functioning properly and according to specifications.
Refurbished power assemblies could include some combination of freshly manufactured parts, reconditioned parts
from other previously used power assemblies, and reconditioned parts from the power assemblies that were replaced.
In cases where all of the power assemblies are not replaced at a single time, a locomotive will be considered to be
‘remanufactured’ (and therefore ‘new’) if all power assemblies from the previously new engine had been replaced
within a five year period. (This definition for remanufactured locomotives is taken from the U.S. Federal Register Volume
63, No.73 April 16, 1998 / Rules and Regulations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 40 CFR Parts 85, 89 and
92 (Emission Standards for Locomotives and Locomotive Engines).
vi LEM 2008